Hypoallergenic Jewellery: Which Metals Are Safe for Sensitive Skin?

Earrings from our collection

If earrings make your lobes itch or a ring leaves a red mark, you're far from alone — contact allergy to jewellery metals is one of the most common skin allergies in the world. Here's what's actually causing it, and how to shop around it.

The usual suspect: nickel

The overwhelming majority of jewellery reactions are nickel allergy — an immune response that shows up as itching, redness, dryness or small blisters where metal touches skin. Nickel is common in cheap base-metal jewellery because it's inexpensive and strong. Sensitivity often develops over time with repeated exposure, which is why someone can wear costume jewellery for years and then suddenly start reacting. In the EU and UK, regulations limit how much nickel jewellery may release — one reason very cheap unregulated imports are the most frequent triggers.

What "hypoallergenic" really means

Here's the honest part: "hypoallergenic" is not a regulated term in most countries. It means "less likely to cause a reaction" — it is not a guarantee, and any brand claiming their jewellery can't cause reactions is overpromising. What matters is the actual metal touching your skin. So instead of trusting the word, check the material.

Metals ranked for sensitive skin

Metal Sensitive-skin verdict
Platinum, titanium, niobium Excellent — the safest choices, used even for medical implants
Solid gold 18K+ Excellent — high purity means little alloy metal to react to
Sterling silver (925) Very good for most people — alloyed mainly with copper, not nickel
Rhodium-plated silver Very good — rhodium is nickel-free and forms a smooth barrier
Gold vermeil Good — gold over sterling silver; no brass core against skin
Gold plated over brass Fine while coating is intact; base metal may irritate once worn through
Unlabelled base metal / "fashion" alloys Highest risk — composition unknown, often contains nickel

Practical tips if you react easily

Earrings matter most — pierced skin is far more reactive than intact skin, so prioritise good metal for earring posts above everything else. Keep jewellery clean and dry, since trapped sweat and soap make irritation worse even without an allergy. And if you have a known strong nickel allergy, a dermatologist can patch-test you so you know exactly which metals to avoid rather than guessing.

On our side: we list the exact metals of every piece — sterling silver, rhodium plating, gold vermeil, gold plating — on each product page, so shoppers with sensitive skin can make an informed choice rather than relying on a vague label.